Alina Habba, US President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer whose short tenure as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor caused an unprecedented legal fight, resigned on Monday after a federal appeals court ruled she had been serving in the post unlawfully.
Ms Habba announced her departure in a post on X, saying she was stepping down “to protect the stability and integrity” of the office.
She will remain at the Justice Department as senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi, focusing on US Attorneys.
“But do not mistake compliance for surrender,” Ms Habba wrote, vowing that the administration would continue appealing the Third Circuit’s ruling. “This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me.”
In a long statement, Ms Habba defended her five-year record at the Justice Department, crediting Ms Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche with supporting work on reducing crime, which she said made New Jersey safer.
She accused federal judges and the state’s two Democratic senators of exploiting the confirmation process to undermine the administration.
“My loyalty is not to politics, a title, or a zip code. It is to this great country,” Ms Habba said.
The Justice Department has not yet named an acting replacement in New Jersey. For now, Ms Habba's former responsibilities will be divided among three lawyers.
Once a partner at a small New Jersey firm, Ms Habba became one of Mr Trump’s most visible legal surrogates during his years out of office.
She had limited federal courtroom experience and no prosecutorial background, prompting early signals from New Jersey’s Democratic senators that they would block her confirmation.
Her appointment in March set off unusual personnel moves, including Ms Bondi’s firing of a court-appointed acting successor in July.
